Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Sonically stunning! I use the word ‘sonic’ occasionally in
reviews to suggest, obviously, sound, but I tend to think of a ‘landscape’ of
sound or a tonal aura or something similar – you see, it’s getting linguistically
ridiculous already, so ‘sonic’ seems to sum up a reference to sound whilst
saying significantly more than just ‘sound’.

This album is more than just sound. So ‘sonic’ is going to
get me started on describing it. It is definitely stunning. From the crescendos
and explosions of the full orchestra – itself battling with the sonic [there it
is again] booms of the saxophones and horns – to the vocal pyrotechnics and
sound-poetry, to the actual growls of a solo saxophone, to the pandemonium of
the erupting orchestra [I’ve just written this as I nearly ejected out of my
chair at about 20 minutes into Part Two of this two-parter when the concluding
crescendo of this amazing amalgam of sound (I probably mean ‘sonic’) suddenly detonates]
to the almost conventional jazz melody to the everything else that gets thrown
into this stunning sonic sink [too much now?], this is an album where if you’d
pulled your titanium socks up over your head and welded them to the top of your
scalp it will still blow them off in a nanosecond at any one of its many
dynamic peaks of sound.

One of these first brilliant peaks is three and a half
minutes into Part One where the three-beat bass line has been building and the
vocal singing/chanting has been screaming and then the orchestra and brass and guitars
and quite a bit in addition goes ballistic with its first glorious fusion of sound.

This is free jazz and avant garde and rock and sound poetry
[written by Arnold de Boer] and one of the most exciting things I’ve heard for
a while. Lest you think it is just monumental noise – and it is this – the opening
vocal shouts and echoes and whistle noises and found sounds at the beginning of
Part Two are beautiful and sonically calming. But then.....

In a musical world of Auto-Tune expectancy, Adam Ant’s
latest is as far from this device as a slow train starting a very long journey to
AT but already broken down. That’s its first refreshing quality. A second is
the ramshackle and/or eclectic content – depending on your aural leanings – and
a first listen is going to be the special experience because you genuinely can’t
be sure of what will be coming next.

The album opens on single release Cool Zombie with blues slide guitar and signature Adam howl in the
background, an engaging marriage of unexpected/expected sounds. Somewhere also
in the background is the singular vocal accompaniment that loudly Ohs its varying tones above this and most
songs on the album in varying degrees of untunefulness. The next two songs are quite neutral for me,
and then fourth Vince Taylor is an
acoustic homage to The Playboys rock’n’roll singer/frontman, a song that chugs
rather than rocks and which has Ant’s vocal drifting a little awkwardly in and
out of the mix. This has a demo-freshness about it, as well as its earnest reverence.
Fifth Valentines is dominated by a
tuneless groan and other exhaled noises, a sprawling narrative that will take a
number of listens to unravel [from its length and entanglement with those domineering
sounds]. Perhaps the noises are a sonic metaphor for the pain and hurt of the storyline.

As I write this I am into my second and third listens and
that ‘special’ experience is already beginning to wane a little. Sixth track Darlin’ Boy brings this realisation to
the fore as it continues with its busy-ness of many voices, including the
cloying Oh always overhead. The
middle of the album though does deliver, with eighth Punkyoungirl mixing clever lyrics with grunge guitar, and the raw
singing like a teenage garage band delivering its teenage lovers’ angst. Ninth Sausage is a sweet song almost
establishing its sweet melody, though again fighting with the over-exuberance
of the tuneless Ohhing [who the fuck
is that?!]. Tenth Cradle Your Hatred
is an extended apology – one senses a mix of honesty and hyperbole here – and again
there is a pop simplicity that appeals, harmonies working for a change, and strong
echoes of New Radicals for me.

Two of my early favourites are the eleventh and twelfth
track juxtapositions of punk Hardmentoughblokes
[shades of Ian Drury] and heavy metal Shrink.
Delightful full-on examples of their respective genres, the latter with a
monstrous dropping bass noise. And my
definite favourite is the sweet acid-folk of thirteenth Vivienne’s Tears – a love song kissed beautifully in the fresh innocence
of its writing and performance.

There are three more tracks, making seventeen in all. Of
course too many, but then it wouldn’t be the categorisingless album it refreshingly
[or otherwise....] is. Though I should just mention that hardcore Adam Ant fans
will find sixteenth Bullshit as signature
a sound as you’ll get on the album, and gloriously so.

Monday, 28 January 2013

I haven't read 50 Shades of Grey - no I haven't - and I don't have to as it has been quoted or broadcast enough in the media for me to have picked up a strong dose of its content, but I bet it isn't as sexy as the following:

And now that I have aroused your interest with this piece of poetic foreplay, my serious point on the sensuality of writing is how Ian Seed's opening vignette in his excellent Threadbare Fables appeals not because of its sexual suggestiveness but because of the humour that takes us further into its possibilities.

The prose-poem fables in this immediately accessible and engaging pamphlet remind me of Matthew Sweeney's absurd and surreal poetic strorytelling. What I like about Seed's is how his too deal in mystery and unknowing, and though suggesting so much they never define or finalise. They are a wonderfully 'easy' read, and by this I mean you can cover them all quickly - if you wish: you might want to speculate and ponder after each indivdual tale - but they then stick with you, like images swiftly seen but leaving a strong impression, and you instinctively imagine afterwards and for some time resolutions or even reasons for what preceded their events.

There are a few recurring themes/ideas - a dieing/dead father; taking an unexpected route - but overall there is a breadth of genuinely imaginative yet brisk stroytelling.

The pamphlet is simply but beautifully produced by likethispress with hand torn cover and insert paper and individually hand-stamped lettering. Threadbare Fables can be purchased for only £4 [if there are any remaining] at http://www.likethispress.co.uk/publications/ianseed

Joe’s no slouch - that is self-evident with his regular
releases, guest appearances and live performances – but what impresses above
and beyond this is the sustained quality of what he does. The instrumentals on
this album will rock your funky socks off, or as with fifth track We Want Grooves, simply soothe and soothe
and soothe. It is almost unbearable, the precocious talent Bonamassa exudes [he
is such a key player here]. Recorded live over ten funked-out, 70s/80s
time-warped days, the collective also features Tal Bergman [drums and
production and great opening solo on Animal Work],
Ron DeJesus [guitar], Mike Merritt [bass], and Renato Neto [exquisite
keyboards]. Put on your shiny suit, push the sleeves up to just below the
elbows, and funk the candy.

Today is the 200th birthday of the publication of
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

I may have commented on this before, but I recall as a
teenage socialist student refusing to read and study and admire the work of an
author concerning herself with the privileges of the upper classes and the
irrelevancies of their social preoccupations. It wasn’t until much later that I
learned to appreciate the often caustic criticism of this social world within
which she necessarily restricted her commentary – focusing on what she knew
rather than extrapolating on what she didn’t – and also to appreciate the
brilliance of her class satire, primarily through the depiction of character,
with personas we could joyfully detest or those with whom we could share in the
mild mockery whilst developing an accompanying empathy.

My favourite Austen novel is Mansfield Park. Whilst not providing the sustained humour of Pride and Prejudice, the story of a dull
and drab Fanny Price’s journey to true heroism is compelling, especially when
coupled with the attending narrative drive that portrays in excruciating detail
the nasty, obnoxious and priggish Mrs Norris, but who we then see receive at
the book’s end one of the most righteously acerbic authorial pummellings of all
time. This is Austen revealing the significant depths of her critical but
artful analysis of a shallow world.

I loved teaching this book and hopefully conveying to
students at the time of study the value of Austen which took me personally longer than it
should to discover. I haven’t always convinced those I would want to persuade of the
importance of her and the English canon – I don’t know how you can appreciate
the role of the novel without reading and appreciating: Dickens’ withering and
emotive social commentary [and language pyrotechnics]; C Bronte’s incipient
modernism [unconscious revelations vs. the propriety of the Victorian novel];
Austen’s considerable charms outlined above; Hardy’s poetic pastoralism [and
tragic trajectories], and Lawrence’s actual and absolute modernism [and later
abject misogyny].

Lest the preceding paragraph sound too sanctimonious, I will
readily admit that I am woefully ill-read when it comes to contemporary novels.

Sunday, 27 January 2013

Wild Wigan bluesman John Fairhurst [he may not be all that
feral, but the image I’ll post, the growling vocal and actual home town are
supportive of the alliteration] turns out five self-penned blues stompers on
this EP. Opener Up On The Hill
reminds of Beefheart, and second The Snow
Lies Deep of Broughton, so this also adds credence to the rawblues image.
That said, acoustic tracks like I Don’t
Know present a folk-blues tone – the voice still appropriately coarse – and
the simplicity of guitar, harmonica [both Fairhurst] and drums [James Breen]
reflect a strong traditional base to his writing and performing. Closer Hungry Blues has fine acoustic blues slide
and picking – supported by the Hungry Blues Choir and producer Alex Beitzke on
harmonium.

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This blog is essentially for music reviews, including live gigs. Frequently heavy on 60s/70s nostalgia, the time of my musical growing-up, there is also an eclectic and contemporary range. In addition I fuel a commitment to posting themed album covers for the simple challenge and fun of it - as I've started, I'll keep going. Enjoy.